Board game

ABSTRACT

A board game for testing word skills of players. A pack of cards is provided with word puzzles on one side, and puzzle answers on the opposite sides thereof. The cards also carry letters. Teams compete to solve the puzzles and to extract the letters therefrom. The teams also compete to form words from the letters thus extracted.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a board game, and more specifically to a board that tests the word skills of participants.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Board games are a well know means for providing entertainment to a group of people. At the same time, board games can be of educational benefit to the participants. However, despite the presence of general educationally beneficial games in the market place, there is still a need for a game which can further stimulate and improve the participants'mental skills.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention is for an apparatus and method for a game that provides educational development and improves word skills.

[0004] The game, for a plurality of participants, comprises a pack of cards. Each card in the pack has a word puzzle printed on one side, and the solution of that puzzle printed on the other side of the card. A board and letter tiles can be provided with the game. A clue to the puzzle can be carried by the card.

[0005] The method for playing the game comprises a card being shown to the team, and that team attempting to solve the word puzzle shown on the card, and attempting to solve as many word puzzles as possible within a predetermined time limit. The team should also extract from each card solved a letter carried by those cards and attempt to form a word from those extracted letters within the same time period. A score is calculated from the number of word puzzles solved and the length of the word made from the extracted letters. The first team to accumulate a score greater than a threshold, wins the game.

[0006] The teams can chose the difficult of the game by electing whether to disclose the clue to the puzzle before play commences.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0007] A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the following figures, in which:

[0008]FIG. 1 is a representation of a board used to play a game embodying the present invention;

[0009]FIG. 2 is a representation of a letter tile used during play of a game embodying the present invention;

[0010]FIGS. 3a, 3 b, and 3 c are representations of playing cards used to play a game embodying the present invention; and

[0011]FIGS. 4a, 4 b, and 4 c are representations of the reverse side of the playing cards shown in FIGS. 3a to 3 c.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A BEST MODE

[0012] Referring to FIG. 1, the board 10 on which a game embodying the present invention can be played is shown. The board is preferably made from a stiff card material with the playing surface printed on one side of the board. Preferably, the board 10 can be folded to allow it to be placed in a suitable container.

[0013] Tiles 30, a representative example of which is shown in FIG. 2, with different letters 32 of the alphabet printed on one side are provided. The tiles are to be placed on the board 10 on an area 12 marked on the board. For example, a tile marked with the letter A is placed on marked area 12 on the board also with the letter A. Some of the letter tiles have ‘double’ or ‘triple’ printed under the letter 32; this is associated with the scoring procedure explained below. In the embodiment illustrated, the tiles for letters F, K, V, W and Y have ‘double’ printed on the tile and the tiles for letters J, Q, X and Z have ‘triple’ printed on the tile. Other letters could be selected to bear ‘triple’ or ‘double’.

[0014] The tiles are made from a plastic material, although other materials may be suitable.

[0015] A selection of playing cards is provided for playing the game embodying the invention. Each card 40 (FIGS. 3 and 4) has an obverse face 42 and a reverse face 44. Printed on the obverse face 42 is a letter 46 in the top left hand corner and a number 48 in the top right hand corner; a clue 50 is printed in the centre of the card, and the answer 52 to an anagram is printed along the bottom of the card.

[0016] The reverse side 44 of the card 40 has the anagram printed 54 on it to which the answer 52 on the obverse side relates, along with the letter 46 and number 48 also printed on the front side 42 of the card. It will be appreciated that other arrangements of the playing cards are possible.

[0017] Preferably, the cards are made from a suitably stiff material, such as card or stiff paper. The cards should be of a suitably thin construction to allow many cards to be placed in a pack of cards and stored in a box. Approximately 1000 cards are supplied with the board game in the preferred embodiment, and alternative card packs may be available. These alternatives might be additional cards for the game or cards were the answers have a theme, such as famous sports persons. As well as providing questions as anagrams, other word puzzles may be provided, examples include synonyms, antonyms, foreign languages, general knowledge, or crossword clues. Any general format of providing a question, a clue and an answer can be used for the word puzzle.

[0018] The participants divide themselves into teams with preferably a maximum of four teams to play the game. Each team should have at least two team members.

[0019] Before play commences, the teams agree to play either a ‘standard’ or ‘advanced’ game. In the ‘standard’ game, the clue to each anagram is read out by the team member showing the anagram to the team without any further clues to the solution of the anagram. In the ‘advanced’ level, the clue is not read out and the team must solve the anagram without the aid of the clue or any other help.

[0020] The game is played in a series of rounds, with each team taking turns. Once a team has completed its round, play is passed to the next team. Each round is timed, and as many anagrams as possible should be solved within the time period. The team should also attempt to form a word using the letters shown on the correctly solved cards within the same time limit. Any letters retained by the team from previous rounds may also be used to form the word.

[0021] During play, a member of the team is designated to show the cards to the remaining members of his team. A card is taken from the pack of cards held by the nominated team member and only the reverse side 44 of the card is shown to the team members. The team has to solve the anagram 54 shown on the reverse side of the card. Depending on which rules are being followed, the designated team member can assist his or her team mates in solving the anagram by reading the clue 50 shown on the obverse side 42 of the card.

[0022] The person within the team nominated to show the cards to the other team members preferably does not show the cards in that team's next round. The person designated to show the cards to their fellow team mates circulates within the team so that each team member has a turn in showing the cards.

[0023] If the team members are successful is rearranging the letters of the anagram 54 to form the word shown as the answer 52, the card is placed on the board in an area 14 designated for correct answers. If the team can not solve the anagram, they may pass and proceed to the next card in a pack of cards. A card that has been passed is placed in the ‘pass’ designated area 16 on the board. Passed anagrams can be revisited and further attempts to guess the anagram made, if time permits. If two cards are in the ‘passed’ box 16 and the team can not solve a new anagram, no further passes are allowed until either the anagram being shown or any of the anagrams in the ‘passed’ box 16 are solved.

[0024] A letter tile corresponding to the letter 46 shown on the correctly solved card is taken from the board. Each letter tile is won by the team solving the anagram. If a tile corresponding to the letter on the card is not available on the board, the team can elect to take such a tile from an opposing team in possession of that letter tile, if any team possesses that tile. The team should attempt to form a word from the letter tiles won in each round. If the team has any letter tiles remaining from previous rounds, then these can also be used in the formation of a word. Each of the letter tiles can be placed on the holding grid 18 area of the board 10. The team should make a recognised word from the letter tiles in the holding grid, if possible. Once a word has been decided upon by the team, the appropriate letter tiles are placed on the scoring grid 20 to form that word. A score for that word is calculated and added to the teams score. The calculation process is described below.

[0025] Once the time limit has elapsed, the team must stop any further attempts to solve any remaining anagrams and cease attempting to form words from the letters shown on the correctly solved cards. The score for each anagram correctly solved is added to the teams score; the number 48 shown on the cards is the designated score for solving that anagram and represents a degree of difficulty.

[0026] The calculation for the score derived from the formation of the word is as follows;

[0027] a single letter tile carries a one point value;

[0028] a word containing a double or triple value letter tile means that the final value of the word is doubled or tripled as appropriate;

[0029] the length of the word formed on the scoring grid affects the final score. If the word is over five letters long the score for forming that word is doubled, and if the word is over seven letters long, the final score is tripled.

[0030] For example, the team that forms the word IOTA will score 4 points (4×1). The word CRAFT will score 10 points (5×1×2—F. is a double value tile). The word YAWN will score 16 points (4×1×2×2—both Y and W are double point tiles). QUIRK scores 30 points (5×1×3×2—Q is a triple value tile and K is a double value tile). YELLOW will score 48 points (6×1×2×2×2—Y and W are double value tiles and the word has over 5 letters).

[0031] The score achieved for the word formed is added to the score for the anagrams solved to make a total score for that round.

[0032] Any letter tiles that have been used to form a word are returned to the board area 12; the team retains any letters not used in forming the word. All members of the team can participate in the word formation stage of the round.

[0033] The team's round is now over and play is passed to the next team, preferably the team position on the left hand side of the team that has just completed their round for their round. That team then follows the aforementioned procedure. The first team to exceed a threshold score, for example 250 points, are the winners of the game.

[0034] Other arrangements of, or materials for, the board, letter tiles and cards will be appreciated by the skilled person. The description is not intended to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation described. Accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. For example, it may not be possible to form teams of adequate size, yet it could be possible still to play the game; a person on an opposing side could show the card to the team attempting to solve the anagrams. It may also be possible to play the game without having to use a board, or the letter tiles. The scope of the invention is only limited by the claims appended hereto. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A game for a plurality of participants, comprising; a pack of cards, each card in said pack having a obverse side and a reverse side, each card having a word puzzle displayed on one of said obverse or reverse sides, and a solution to said word puzzle on the other of the obverse and reverse sides; and one of said obverse or reverse sides further carrying a letter, and one of said obverse or reverse sides further carrying a score indication.
 2. A game according to claim 1, wherein said word puzzle comprises an anagram.
 3. A game according to claim 1, wherein said score indication comprises a number.
 4. A game according to claim 1, wherein said score indication is carried on the same side as said letter.
 5. A game according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of letter tiles; each letter tile comprising a surface and carrying a letter of the alphabet.
 6. A game according to claim 1, further comprising a playing surface on which said game is played.
 7. A game according to claim 6, wherein said playing surface is divided into a plurality of areas; a first area for placing said letter tiles; a second area for placing a card when a team has solved said word puzzle on said card; a third area for placing a card when a team is unable to solve the anagram on the card; and a fourth area for arranging letter tiles won by a team.
 8. A game according claim 7, wherein said fourth area is divided into a grid for arranging said letter tiles into a word.
 9. A game according claim 1, further comprising a timer for timing a period of play.
 10. A game according to claim 9, wherein said timer is an hour glass.
 11. A game according to claim 1, wherein each card further comprises a clue to said solution of said word puzzle, said clue being shown on said obverse side of said card.
 12. A method for playing a word game by a plurality of teams, wherein each team takes turns to play a round of the game, each round comprises the steps of: a card being shown to said team; said team attempting to solve a word puzzle before passing to the next card in the series; after solution of a puzzle or passing a card, and attempting to solve as many word puzzles as possible within a predetermined time period, extracting from each of said solved cards a letter carried by said cards; attempting to form a word from said extracted letters within said pre-determined time period; ceasing to attempt to solve said word puzzles on said cards and ceasing to attempt to form said word when said predetermined time period has elapsed; and calculating a score for each round of each team depending at least on the word formed.
 13. A method according to claim 12, wherein each team comprises a plurality of players.
 14. A method according to claim 12, wherein said word puzzles carried by said cards are anagrams.
 15. A method according to claim 12, wherein the calculation of the score is determined by the difficulty of each word puzzle solved and the length of the word formed by the letters.
 16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the contribution of said letters to said score depends on the identity of individual letters.
 17. A method according to claim 16, wherein said score is doubled for a word including at least one of the letters F, K, V, W and Y.
 18. A method according to claim 16, wherein said score is tripled for a word including at least one of the letters J, Q, X and Z.
 19. A method according to claim 15, wherein said score is doubled for a word comprising 6, or 7 letters.
 20. A method according to claim 15, wherein said score is tripled for a word comprising more than 7 letters.
 21. A method according to claim 15, wherein said score for solving each word puzzle is shown on said card for that word puzzle.
 22. A method according to claim 12, further comprising; determining whether to play a standard difficulty game or advanced difficulty game prior to any rounds commencing.
 23. A method according to claim 22, wherein said standard game comprises a team member providing a clue from said card to the solution of said word puzzle.
 24. A method according to claim 22 further comprising; playing said game on said board having areas for placing said cards, storing said letters and assisting in generation of said score.
 25. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein any letters unused in the formation of said word are retained by said team.
 26. A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein said unused letters retained by said team from a previous round can be used in the formation of said word.
 27. A method for playing a word game by a plurality of teams, wherein each team takes turns to play a round of the game, each round comprises the steps of: a card being shown to said team; said team attempting to solve a word puzzle before passing to the next card in the series; after solution of a puzzle or passing a card, and attempting to solve as many word puzzles as possible, extracting from each of said solved cards a letter carried by said cards; attempting to form a word from said extracted letters; and calculating a score for each round of each team depending at least on the word formed. 